Untouchable
by Xany Kaos
Summary: Ultimate X-men. RogueToad pairing. Little 3-chapter thing to get it out of my system. Yes, it's weird.
1. Default Chapter

This is argueably the weirdest thing I've ever written, except for that one Digimon thing, but that ain't ever seein' th' light of day. And the weirdest thing is probably that Ultimate!Toad is the least attractive of the current Toads. But then again, the last vision of him we got was courtesy Chris Bachalo, who does to men in comic books what Driver's License photos do to the rest of us. I mean, the man made Jono Stars more look icky. Angelo (my baby!) I could understand, but Jono?

Anyway, if you want a better idea of the version of Toad I'm keeping in mind while writing this, try going to deviant art and putting "/view/5585157/" after the address. That's the best I can do, I can't make this thing like me type an address.

As for the whole Toad/Rogue thing, I was intrigued when Toad seemed to be trying to protect Rogue during their capture, and even moreso by the way Rogue got all pissy on him for it. So, yeah...product of staying up waaaay too late. Here goes.

* * *

_She's all alone, just sitting there. Even if everyone else was awake, she'd still be alone. I can't figure it out, but something about her makes her aloof, separate...beautiful, in a way. Her powers make her so untouchable...and that makes her alone. _

Maybe she likes being alone. Looks that way often enough. Or maybe she's just been alone--untouchable-- for so long that she doesn't know how to be with other people, so it's just easier to stay apart.

That sounds familiar.

Toad sighed and shifted on the stool where he crouched. From her position, sprawled out on the couch watching the news, Rogue glanced up with an irritated look.

"What a' _you_ lookin' at, Toad?" He blinked, jolted from his thoughts.

"Nuffin." When she looked skeptical, he grinned sardonically and added, "'Least, nuffin' much." She narrowed her eyes and turned back to the television without comment. Toad hunched forward, his long arms crossed over his knees. He meant to watch the news, but the flickering pictures failed to hold his attention so late at night and he found himself staring at her again. Unaware of his gaze, she fiddled absently with the white streak in her hair and tucked it behind her ear. Toad wondered, not for the first time, how her hair had gotten like that and then, before he could catch himself, what it would be like to touch it--if her hair really was as soft as it looked. He shook his head quickly and glared at a far-off corner. God, he really _was _pathetically lonely thinking like that. About a _teammate_. About _Rogue_. About someone who would have probably rather anyone but him be in the group of renegades that had left the Brotherhood...

"Looks like Pietro's group blew up another laboratory somewhere in Africa," Rogue called from the couch. "Again."

"Stupid git. Can't he think of better things to do?"

"At least he's doing _something_. When th' hell a' we gonna do anything?"

"Hey, we're just startin' off. We don't go' the means ta do anything big yet. You know what the Brotherhood was like when we started off?"

"Ah'll bet y'all weren't sittin' in some cheap motel room, eating leftover takeout from Chi-Yun's Noodle Hut," Rogue muttered. Toad frowned.

"Look, you think you can do better, you're welcome to try."

"Whatever." She flopped down further onto the couch. "How much longer 'till dawn?"

"A coupla hours. Y'can get some sleep now, if y'want. I'll finish up th' watch alone."

"Don't do me no favors," she grumbled into a pillow, but she took him up on the offer, muted the television, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

With only the hum of the otherwise-silent television and the stillness of the sleeping room to keep him company, Toad's less welcome thoughts returned as his gaze again fell on Rogue.

I wish I could touch her. Just once. Gah!--Stop this, already, ya green moron!

She hated him, he knew. Of course, she pretty much hated everyone--she was drunk on her newfound freedom, making up for lost time as an angsty teenager, mistrustful, angry...so angry. Always snapping at someone, always acting like she was above everyone, like she was doing the renegades a favor by being there.

So _why_ was he so drawn to her? He passed a hand over his eyes, trying to clear his head. Maybe it was because when they had pulled her and half-a-dozen of her comrades from the hell of the Weapon X program and he had seen her, scared, shivering, but defiant --a mutant who'd had her life stolen from her, who knew what it was to hate and fear humans in a way that most people couldn't imagine-- when he'd seen her like that, he'd been reminded so much of himself, all those years ago. He'd been younger then, much younger than she was, but he knew the same things going through her head. And then to watch her at the base--alone, angry, untouchable. Even fellow mutants shied away from her touch...and that, too, he could understood.

And so somehow, he'd seen a kindred spirit in her. Someone he wanted to protect. He'd never wanted to protect anyone but himself before. But when he looked at her...

...and then he'd look at himself. Disgust that once he'd been naive enough to hope he wouldn't see among other mutants, showed clearly on her otherwise beautiful features every time she looked at him. And, he thought with a sigh, he couldn't blame her. But still, it hurt in a way he thought he'd long gotten over. The way she managed to make his name sound as loathsome as the warty creature that had inspired it, like he was nothing but some piece of filth that had crawled from the muck and learned to speak. The few times they would accidentally touch--pushed against him, a hand on an arm for balance-- she'd shudder and pull away, regardless of her gloves, as if she'd put her hand in a sewer.

He was just wallowing in a new load of self misery when he heard a soft moan from the couch. Before he even thought about it, he was there, by her side. He mentally cursed himself for being so..so _whipped, _for God's sake!--when she cried out again.

"No, Doctor Jasper...please...I told ya everah-thin'...please don't..don't..." Tears and sweat rolled down her cheeks and she tossed around on the couch. Toad stared at her, unsure, then laid a hesitant hand on top of her head. Rogue had never talked about anything that had happened to her at the Weapon X program, but he knew, like the rest of the Brotherhood, that she still had nightmares. Cautiously, he stroked her hair, well aware of what would happen if she woke up to see him there. To his surprise (and secret delight), she calmed under his touch, her moaning protests dying down to small whimpers, and then nothing.

_Her hair really is soft..._ Toad didn't move, terrified of ruining something so precious. _Just like it looks. I don't think I've ever been this close to her on purpose. She smells nice. And when she's asleep, she doesn't look angry at all...just...beautiful. Her skin's so warm..._ It wasn't until then that he realized his hand had moved from her hair and was now gently caressing her cheek. He snatched it away, as if burned. For a long, tense moment, he sat there, without moving, cradling his hand. Then...

"I didn't...it didn't..." Carefully he put his hand to her cheek again. Her expression flickered briefly, then went still. After what seemed an eternity, Toad released a prisoned breath and took his hand away.

"I can touch you," he whispered. He took another deep breath and looked back at Rogue. She slept peacefully, unaware of the miracle that had just occurred. "I can touch you," he repeated.

Toad crouched there, his hand resting lightly on the warm curve of Rogue's cheek for a long while.

* * *

Okay, I guess I owe y'all an explanation or a theory. After all, Rogue absorbed Toad's powers when they were trying to escape. So how can he touch her. My theory: Toad can touch Rogue because his mutation creates a natural slime on his skin that acts as a barrier of sorts, protection and healing against potetial outer hard. When Rogue touched Toad, he had just broken his ankle, so all of his body's natural healing things were rushing to that area, leaving his skin vulnerable. There, see? . ... Yeah, I know it's a load o' crock, but I'm not sayin' this could ever really happen in the comics. Or that it should. ...just that Toad should be drawn better.


	2. Chapter 2

Yea! Italics work now. Huzzah. Survived the first bit of weirdness? Good. It just gets weirder, I promise you. Oh, and...  
X-men ain't mine! 'Tis Marvels. If it were mine I'd stop using Bachalo, and get more artist like Andy Kubert and the Dodsons. Ahem...  
Grrr...does anyone know how to make the aterisks stay? I don't like violating my "bleeped out cursing" policy.

* * *

"Cyclops? Cyclops?" Rogue waited, a hand to the headphone in her ear, hoping for a reply. Static. She'd gone too far in. "Well, for all the incredible technology we're supposed to have, Ah'd rather just have a mobile phone. Probably would get better reception." Grumbling to mask her growing worry, she peered into the darkness looming before her. 

She hadn't meant to get seperated from her Cyclops and Shadowcat, not here in the empty depths of a long abandoned labratory. Not here, in an unfamiliar place, crawling with less friendly mutants. Mutants they were supposed to capture who might not take too kindly to the idea. Mutants she had known.

Cyclops hadn't been too keen on letting Rogue come. She'd done several other missions, but always minor ones. When the news came that several of the captured members of the Brotherhood were free, she'd spent days feeling imagined accusing stares from her teammates. She had been one once, a terrorist. She had helped kill hundreds of people. But she was walking the straight path, now. Mostly...

A soft scuffling from behind startled her. She whirled around, only to see more impenatrable darkness. Trying to control her breathing, she tapped her communicator again.

"C-Cyclops...?" She winced at the quaver in her voice. She was too old to be afraid of the dark. She just needed to keep following this corridor...maybe she could find her way--there it was again! "Kitty? Izzat you?" She fumbled for her mostly-dead flashlight and thumped it hard, hoping to jolt the batteries back to life. Frantically, she swung the muddy-yellow light around, trying to find the source of the noise. "Who's there?"

"Well, well, well," a familiar-sounding voice drawled from somewhere above her. She swung the beam of light upward, just in time to see flash of someone moving out of the way. The flashlight chose that moment to give up the ghost.

"Who a' you?"

"This hardly seems like the place for a gel like you ta be hangin' aroun' in. Leastways, no' anymore." The thickly-accented voice sounded amused. Rogue gasped.

"Toad?" A soft, malicious chuckle came from above her. Rogue found herself getting angry. Here she had been terrified, and it was just Toad, that pathetic, green-skinned Brit. "What th' hell a' you doin'?"

"Th' better question is..." She saw a slim figure flip from the ceiling to land right in front of her. In the shadow that slouched before her she could see twin golden specks, peering at her. A mouth opened in the shadow and she saw a flash of yellow teeth. "What a'you doin' 'ere, li'l gel?"

"Ah don' have time for this, Toad." She tried to push him out of her way --not that she knew where she was going, but since Toad was standing in front of her, she assumed he was in her way. Swift as a striking snake, he caught her wrist. She shuddered at the feel of his hand through her jacket. He cocked his head, studying her, his liquid, black eyes glittering in the dark. She tried to pull her hand back, only to find his grip surprisingly strong. "Leggo, Toad." When he didn't, she stopped struggling, and stood firm, glaring angrily at him. "Ah'm not afraid a'you, Toad." His grin was hard, brittle.

"Oh, I'll bet no'. 'Specially no' now, wiv yo' new teammates an' all." He shifted his grip before she could react and pulled her closer, her hand twisted in his at an awkward angle. "Howsit feel ta be an X-man, huh? Nice an' superior? You always thought you were so much better than the rest of us." His face was inches from hers. It was all Rogue could do to hold her ground and not cringe away. "Y'make me sick," he hissed softly.

"Leggo a' me, Toad!"

"Shu'up!" He grip on her hand tightened. "You little bitch! You think you're so much better, just because you look human? Just because the you were good enough for the Brotherhood _and_ the X-men? Well, I got news f'you, luv. You ain't worth st." He grabbed her, both hands tight around her shoulders. "D'you even know what th' Brotherhood means? What we are? Did you ever even understand? The _Brother-hood_. We're no' just a team--we're _brothers_. We're loyal. If one a' us falls, th' rest pick 'im up. If one a' us gets out, y'_help_ your effing brothers!" She gapsed a little as his fingers dug into her arms. "It's not just so long as it's convinient! You don't just join up with the enemy an' leave us t' rot! _We. Were. A. Team._" His inhuman, all-too human eyes bored into hers with a look of fury...and hurt. "We're all we got." His grip loosened slightly, but the intensity never left his eyes. "I thought you could understand that."

"Why do you care?" Rogue gritted through clenched teeth, unwilling to admit to herself that his words were echoing all her recent self-doubt. "I got out. Xavier got me out, mom an' dad took me back. I didn't want... I'm not a part of the Brotherhood anymore. I quit." She forced herself to meet his gaze. The anger in his eyes gave way to something else...a sadness, a longing, something she couldn't, didn't want to name. He took a deep, shaking breath and opened his mouth, as if to say something, closed it again, then suddenly leaned down and kissed her.

At first, she was too shocked to even register revulsion. His lips pressed desperately against hers, an act of passion, and, she sensed somehow, hopelessness, as if he realized he'd lost and might as well take what he wanted before it was too late. Before she could struggle, he tore himself away and pushed her from him. Numb, she fell to the ground and stared up at him, dazed, as an urgent realization begged for her notice.

Neither spoke. The silence was filled only by their ragged breathing. Somehow, their gazes wouldn't part. Toad stared at her for what seemed an eternity, anger and resignation shining in his golden-black eyes. And then...

"Down that 'all, third door t'yer left, up th' stairs." Toad jerked his head to indicate the direction. His voice was flat and business-like. "Get th' 'ell outta 'ere. If I ever see y' again, 'll pro'lly kill ya." And then he was gone, vanished into the shadows.

For the longest while, Rogue didn't move from where she lay sprawled on the ground. Her gloved hand found its way to her mouth and gently prodded the place where his lip-ring had cut her. It wasn't until long after he'd disappeared that the thought that had been struggling for attention finally surfaced.

"He _kissed_ me."

* * *

My, she's a bright one, ain't she. One more chapter to go. ...Cor, I'm having too much fun with the dialouge. 


	3. Chapter 3

Still here? A miracle! Okay, wrapping things up. Maybe after this and the other story, I'll be able to focus on my two main fics. ...if Todd doesn't demand another story. Stupid, adorable frog-boy.   
Yay, smut! Well, not really smut, but a lot more detailed kissing than I'm usually comfortable writing. Yeah...y'know, I think that out of all my fics, this an' the last chapter were my first real kiss scenes. Considering the romance freak I am, that's bizarre. Anyway  
X-men (c) Marvel.

* * *

They found her sitting in the X-jet when they returned from the mission bearing HardDrive and Vanisher, both unconscious. Her eyes red and wet. She explained that she'd been lost, had managed to find her way out of the building by sheer luck, and been to confused once out to do anything but wait for the others. She ignored the mistrustful looks that Scott kept giving her, but when Kurt innocently inquired if she was all right, she shouted that she was fine, and that she hadn't been crying, and for him to mind his own effing business anyway, and had stormed to the cargo area of the jet. No one bothered her.

Now, two days later, she couldn't get it out of her head. She would catch herself running her fingers over her lips, remembering. She spaced out in class, wondering how it was possible, why it hadn't killed him. She had _dreams_ about him, for crissakes! Now _that_ was disgusting.

Or it should have been. But she couldn't help remembering the real feeling of his kiss. It hadn't been gross, or slimy, like she would've thought. Just passionate, almost painfully so, but tender at the same time. She remembered the tear that had slid down his cheek to hers, burning, silently telling of a hopeless longing more effectively than words or kiss could convey. It wasn't just lust he felt; somehow that had been communicated in the kiss too. No, somewhere in that green frog freak, he loved her.

How long had he felt this way about her? Why hadn't she seen it? She knew the answer--she had, but...but it had been _Toad_, for crying out loud! The repulsive, slimy, green...

She buried her head in her hands. She finally found a guy who loved her, even when she had been at her worst. She finally found a guy she could _touch!_ And it was Toad. Toad. He wasn't even _human_.

But...he _had_ been able to touch her. And she had to find out how. And why.

The InBetween House was just the was she remembered it. Broken-down, out of the way. But empty. Warily, she walked inside and looked around. How many times had they stopped here, when a mission was too far from their base for Vanisher and Harddrive to manage in one trip. She ran her hand along the ancient foozeball table that Toad and Progeny had played on so loudly, always announcing each goal with a boisterous chorus of the scorer's national anthem, while the other boo-ed them down. Boys. She spun the goalie --for luck-- and realized she was smiling fondly at such memories. She snatched her hand away and shook off the thick layer of dust that now coated her glove. All that was a long time ago. It didn't matter any more.

Why had she come here? No one had been here for a year, at least, Brotherhood or otherwise. And she was going to get it when the Professor and Scott found out. Better to just leave now and try to sneak back in the mansion unnoticed. She turned back toward the door when a soft voice stopped her.

"Why're you 'ere?"

She spun around and saw Toad leaning against the rickety-looking bannister, a faintly curious, but tired look in his gold eyes.

"Ah..." she began awkwardly. "Why'd you do that...that night...?" His eyes widened, and he focused on the ground, not looking at her.

"Why d'ya think?" he responded quietly. Rogue closed her eyes and shook her head. She wasn't going to think, not about that! The only reason she was here, the only reason she hadn't beat the crap out of him for what he had done and said, as far as she was concerned, was to find out how.

"Can Ah...can Ah really touch ya?" Toad shrugged and held his right hand out, still not looking at her. Rogue took of a glove and hesitantly reached out to him, suppressing disgust. She couldn't believe she was going to willingly touch the slimeball. Skin met skin. She could feel his tension; he was just as nervous as she was. His hand was cold and clammy, trembling slightly under her touch. She held her breath for a few moments, counting heartbeats. Then...

"...How...?" Toad shrugged again.

"Gorra few theories. Nuthin' y'd like ta hear. All comes down ta my mutation, I guess."

His mutation. Sometimes she forgot it was just that. Most of the time. All the time, actually. Rogue looked up at him and tried, for once, to see beyond the mutation to the human being that he might be. Even if nature hadn't chosen for him to have green skin and webbed fingers, she decided, he wouldn't have been terribly attractive. Too sharp a nose, all those piercings, skinny as a rail. But he wasn't as disgusting as she'd once thought. Still without looking at her, Toad could feel her scrutiny, and a darker green flushed his cheeks. Rogue noticed this and smiled slightly. Maybe... He wasn't Prince Charming, certainly, but maybe he wasn't that bad either. And anyway, he was the only one she could touch, and Rogue had long become accustomed to taking what she could get. She carefully reached out her other hand and laid it light on his cold cheek.

Toad's eyes snapped back to her, wide and fearful. Rogue leaned up to kiss him and he froze. When she didn't stop, or vanish away like a dream, he put a hand around her waist and rested the other one in her thick, soft hair. He knew she was probably imagining just about anyone else in his place, but for now, he told himself, it didn't matter. Life had not been kind to him, and knowing that he'd never again get a woman to willingly kiss him...he was perfectly willing to take what he could get. If she could pretend she was kissing some handsome hotshot from the X-men or something, he could just as easily pretend, just for this moment, that she loved him.

Rogue broke away first, but didn't move or push his arms away. She leaned against him, nestling her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, still tasting the kiss. Surprisingly tender, frightened almost, surprisingly sweet. How could being in his arms suddenly feel so...right? She turned her face back to his for another and tried to coax the passion she'd felt from him those three nights past back into the kiss. Maybe...how long was his tongue again? She mentally shook herself; she couldn't believe she'd just thought that. A kiss was one thing, but that? That was just gross! But he didn't try anything like that, just tasted her lips cautiously.

This time, it was Toad who broke away and stepped back. Rogue looked up to see him shaking his head, his eyes squeezed shut. For a moment she worried that she had hurt him, that whatever immunity he'd had to her powers had vanished, but then he looked back up at her and she saw a hurt hopelessness in his dark, wet eyes. He shook his head, resigned.

"G'bye, Rogue," he said softly, trailing a cool finger across her cheek and gently wiping away tears she didn't remember shedding. He turned to leave and suddenly a dam burst within her.

"Wait!" She started towards him. He looked back at her and shook his head again.

"It's no' real," he said sadly. "It wouldn' work if it was." He turned away again.

"Toad!" she called, feeling a desperate need to say something, to call him back. He stopped for a moment, but didn't turn. There was a long, tense pause.

"It's Mort," he said at last, then vanished into the shadows.

"Mort..." Rogue whispered, feeling tears falling on her hand. She was alone again.

* * *

The End.

I jus' wanna say, I think for Mort to tell his real name to anyone is a big deal for him. Especially in the Ultimate Universe, where Magneto really emphasises forgetting one's human origins (remember the bit with Detonator?) Anyway, there. Now that that's out of my system, maybe I can really write what I want to.

Rogue: "Then write me some mouthwash."  
Toad: "Oh, come on. I had a tic-tac."  
Rogue: "I don't care! I_ kissed_ you. No one should kiss you! Ick...."  
Toad: sniffle "I'm gonna go eat a bucket of Ben an' Jerry's an' sulk."  
Xany: "Now look what you've done, girl! You apologize!"  
Rogue: mutter mutter s'rry...

Sigh...kids...


End file.
